Digital Systems
The following information has been put together to help explain what Computer Engineering is and why someone might consider pursuing a Computer Engineering degree or the Digital Systems Option here at LSSU.
Computer Engineering
- What is Computer Engineering?
- A combination of both the hardware and software of computer systems.
- It draws primarily on both Electrical Engineering (EE) and Computer Science (CS) courses as shown in the Venn Diagram below.
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What are some examples of what a Computer Engineer might do?
- Computer Design: Design the next Intel microprocessor.
[Photo: http://www.9to5mac.com/1151/Intel-Core-i7-Processor-Mac-Pros-and-Xserves-on-the-way]
- Embedded System Design: Design the digital control of a sun tracking system for a solar Photovoltaic array, a mobile robot that assists elderly people with household tasks, etc. This might include the programming of the microcontroller (the "brains" of the system) and developing the physical interfacing of it with the rest of the system. This "track" is the primary focus here at LSSU.
[Photo: http://www.botmag.com/issue10/]
- Computer Network/Communications Design: Design the next Cray supercomputer to enable climate modeling and simulation.
[Photo: http://www.cray.com/products/Storage.aspx]
- What classes would I take as a Computer Engineering student?
Digital Systems Option
For those that choose Electrical Engineering as a major but still have a strong interest in digital and embedded systems, LSSU provides the Digital Systems Option.
Potential jobs include:
- See above for now
This option consists of the following courses:
- EGEE320: Digital Design
- At the heart of most digital systems is a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and/or Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).
- This course enables students to design ASICs or understand the basic design issues of microcontrollers.
- It also enables students to understand how FPGAs function and how to program them using a Hardware Descriptor Language (HDL) and schematics.
- It extends the information from the digital fundamentals course (EGEE125) and focuses on more complex design issues using FPGAs as the primary tool to implement designs.
- At the heart of most digital systems is a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and/or Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).
- EGEE355: Microcontroller System Design
- This course extends the information from the first microcontrollers course (EGEE250) such that a student will have comprehensive understanding of how microcontrollers are utilized. Specifically, students learn:
- Programming in a higher-level language (C) in addition to the previously learned assembly language.
- Many of the remaining peripherals common to most microcontrollers and some specific to the 9S12s used in lab.
- Interfacing techniques to enable the microcontroller to communicate with users and its environment.
- This course extends the information from the first microcontrollers course (EGEE250) such that a student will have comprehensive understanding of how microcontrollers are utilized. Specifically, students learn:
- EGEE425: Digital Signal Processing
- This course explores how digital signals are processed in both analog and digital systems. This includes mathematical theory behind:
- The acquisition of the signals.
- The processing of the signals.
- This course explores how digital signals are processed in both analog and digital systems. This includes mathematical theory behind: